Reel Critics

Ray Buffer

Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro in a film that parodies cop shows and

reality TV, guest starring Rene Russo and William Shatner. Sounds

interesting huh? Well it could have been.

What it really amounts to is a poorly constructed story that is mired

in lame cliches and a sundry of contrived circumstances.

No-nonsense LAPD Detective Mitch Preston (De Niro) is a man of few

words, little patience and even less style. All he wants is to be left

alone to do his job the way he’s been doing it for more than 20 years.

Patrol Officer Trey Sellars (Murphy) is a different story. Instead of

being a cop, he would much rather play one on TV. A frustrated actor, he

spends his workdays taping off crime scenes and his evenings perfecting

action poses in front of a mirror, just waiting for the one big break

that will change his life.

“Showtime’s” intent to lampoon reality police shows seems to fall by

the wayside a third of the way into the film as the story suddenly

becomes a mediocre buddy movie. I went to the theater prepared to belly

laugh and guffaw but found only three or four opportunities to do so, and

even then, I may have been the only one laughing.

So what went wrong? Perhaps the fact that there were at least four

screenwriters. Too many cooks spoiled this stew. The director, Tom Dey,

also was responsible for bringing us “Shanghai Noon.” The ironic thing is

that this production in its casting, production costs and writing is

guilty of all the things that it attempts to satire.

Since the script holds no real ammunition for fun, the real humor

comes from the ad-libs and additional nuances that come from the seasoned

veterans, Murphy, De Niro and Shatner. Yes, Shatner. Shatner, who plays

himself, easily upstages the rest of the cast in the too-few scenes that

he is in.

The music is bouncy with a not too hip-hop flair and a sometimes,

somewhat satirical tribute to cop-show music. The picture looks good. The

special effects look good. The actors look good. The script is what

handicaps this film and turns it into a mundane, escapist, popcorn flick.

* RAY BUFFER, 31, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over artist.